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the citizens' information source on children's issues March 2002 Newsletter IN
THIS ISSUE:
Incidence
and Prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse Nationwide, reports of child sexual abuse declined from an estimated 425,000 in 1991 to an estimated 223,000 in 1997. In considering any declines, it is important to remember that only a subset of child sexual abuse cases are actually identified or reported to child protective services each year. Researchers estimate that as many as 85 percent of child sexual abuse cases are never reported to authorities. Retrospective surveys are now supporting the estimate that at least 20 percent, and possibly higher, of all American women and 5 percent to 16 percent of American men experience some form of sexual abuse as children. If the number of sexually abused children today is as great as the number of adults who claim to have been child victims, we can then conclude that less than one-third of sexually abused children are being currently identified and reported. Declines in reports may be completely or partly due to factors that are not related to the actual incidence of sexual abuse. For example, "child abuse backlash" reported by some researchers may play a role. The dominant and incorrect message to the public has often been that false allegations are frequent and that innocent people are unfairly stigmatized. As a result, media coverage of child sexual abuse cases may be fueling a more skeptical attitude toward the problem than in the past and causing the public and professionals to be more reluctant to report such cases. Legislative initiatives to increase the rights of alleged perpetrators have also taken hold in certain states and, as a result, victims may be more reluctant to seek help. A number of other factors may account for the decrease in investigations and substantiation of cases after they are reported. For example:
A review of national incidence studies by researcher David Finkelhor found that girls are sexually abused three times more often than boys. Despite the public's perception that highly publicized cases of sexual assaults by teachers, clergymen and other unrelated adults are the norm, they make up less than 10 percent of sexual assaults against children. According to child abuse researchers, in 90 percent of child sexual abuse cases, the child knows and trusts the person who commits the abuse. Most sexual abusers are fathers, mothers, stepparents, grandparents and other family members or adults who have close contact with the child. Sexual abuse exists in low, middle, and high-income families across the state. There are no markers to help us identify when sexual abuse is more likely to occur. However, some studies show that the most important indicator of risk for sexual abuse is the compromised ability of a parent to provide adequate supervision to their child, e.g. marital conflicts, unavailability, substance abuse. The factors that reduce appropriate parental supervision can also produce emotionally vulnerable children who in turn can fall prey more easily to sexual abusers offering affection, attention, and friendship. The effects of sexual abuse on children can be devastating and long-term, especially when timely and effective treatment is not available. A variety of studies show that sexually abused children can experience a chronic self-perception of helplessness, hopelessness, depression, impaired trust, self-blame, self-destructive behavior, and low self-esteem. Anger and emotional distress are also cited, as well as alcohol and drug dependency when the child reaches adolescence or adulthood. FOR MORE INFORMATION about child sexual abuse, MCC's recommendations for change, and source reference notes for the above spotlighted section, please see "A State Call To Action: Working to End Child Abuse and Neglect in Massachusetts," Section II, Chapter 1, Incidence and Prevalence [http://www.masskids.org/cta/cta_i_ch01.html ] The complete report is available online at http://www.masskids.org/cta/
Child
Sexual Abuse Prevention Initiative Remember, April is Child Abuse Prevention Month!
MCC
and Others Support A Mother's Efforts to Keep Her Daughters
in Massachusetts
MCC filed the brief joined by the Women's Bar Association, Jane Doe Inc., the Domestic Violence Council, Inc., Greater Boston Legal Services and Dr. Rebecca Bolen of Boston University. MCC argued that the evidence of sexual abuse at the trial, which included compelling disclosures to the child's therapist, the expert opinions of Dr. Carole Jenny and Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk, clearly and convincingly met the "gold standard" for determining that the child had been sexually abused. Another group of child advocacy organizations filed an amicus curiae brief, arguing that the lower court failed to take into consideration the short and long-term effects of child sexual abuse. This group consisted of the Leadership Council for Mental Health, MSPCC, Children's Law Center of Massachusetts, Inc., Gloucester Men Against Domestic Abuse, and Emerge, Inc., and the Community Legal Services and Counseling Center. A third brief was filed by the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General. Their brief argued that child abuse includes a wide range of contact and non-contact offenses, and that a young child’s disclosures of sexual abuse may be assessed using a well-recognized set of indicia of reliability. The filing of these briefs represents an important collaboration among child advocacy groups, the legal profession and experts on child sexual abuse. Massachusetts Citizens for Children is currently continuing its efforts to address the issue of court responses to child sexual abuse, in its fall "Summit on Children and the Courts: Court Responses to Intra-Familial Violence" and in its developing Children's Law and Policy Initiative. A recent PNN Online article featured this important and controversial trial: http://pnnonline.org/people/children022502.asp For more information about the amicus curiae brief or the upcoming Summit on Children and the Courts, please contact Nora Sjoblom Sanchez, Esq., of MCC’s Children’s Law and Policy Initiative, at Nora@masskids.org.
New
Version of MassCHIP Now Available KIDS COUNT, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is a national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the United States. Mass. Citizens for Children and the Mass. Department of Public Health are working in partnership to increase the accessibility of KIDS COUNT data to the public. The KIDS COUNT data in the MassCHIP database is available at the city/town level and at higher aggregates, such as county. MassCHIP may be obtained by going to the website and registering as a user, then downloading the system onto your computer. MassCHIP is distributed completely free of charge by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The MassCHIP web site is http://masschip.state.ma.us/
An
Act to End Child Hunger in Massachusetts (S722, H2183) The basis for An Act to End Child Hunger is that resources to end child hunger are already close at hand. An expansive network of child nutrition programs already exists, and when Massachusetts draws on those resources, most of the expense is covered by the federal government. By accessing available federal funding for these programs, a state investment of $29.7 million would garner up to $120 million in federal funds; in other words, the federal government would add $4 to every $1 Massachusetts invests to eliminate child hunger. At the best of times, one in five children under the age of 12 lives in a family that finds it challenging to put food on the table. According to Project Bread, a non- profit organization that has been intensively exploring strategies to end child hunger in Massachusetts, this number is growing. When Project Bread surveyed state emergency food shelters, one hundred percent of them reported seeing more hungry children in January 2002, than they did in January 2001. In addition, Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline has seen a significant increase in calls. An Act to End Child Hunger in Massachusetts would ensure that all at-risk children in the state have the opportunity to access food where they live, learn, and play: these children would eat at home, in school and after-school programs, and in summer recreation programs. Not in soup kitchens. It provides a safety net for children that is seamless and invisible, removing stigma and allowing parents to focus on regaining control of their economic lives. The bill, first filed by Project Bread on December 6, 2000, currently remains stalled in the Committees on Ways and Means in both the House and Senate. Because of the impending expiration date of July 31, passage of the bill requires that it be addressed quickly. Citizens may demonstrate their support of this legislation to their legislators by participating in Project Bread's postcard campaign: postcards may be ordered from Project Bread's web site, www.projectbread.org, then filled out, and returned to Project Bread for delivery to the State House. To take action online, via e-mail or postal mail, please visit the MCC Online Advocacy Center: http://capwiz.com/pca/ma/issues/alert/?alertid=103352&type=ST To learn more about An Act To End Child Hunger in Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Child Hunger Initiative, please visit the Project Bread web site, www.projectbread.org.
---------------------------------------------------------- The Massachusetts Campaign for Children is a program of Massachusetts Citizens for Children. Its mission is to build and maintain a statewide, grassroots membership organization, which can then become a powerful voice for the children of our state. The Campaign's goal is to engage in non-partisan electoral and legislative actions at the local and state levels that promote the well-being of all Massachusetts children, youth, and their families, and help us move children's issues to the center of every political arena. We believe that all our children have the right: to be free from poverty; to get the medical and preventive care they need; to learn in quality child care and school settings; to be safe from abuse, neglect, and violence; and to live in caring families and healthy communities. Please share this newsletter with your friends and colleagues, and urge them to join with us to become a powerful voice for the children of our state. We urge you, too, to join with us, or renew your membership if you are already a member. The Campaign for Children is a non-profit independent advocacy organization, and we receive no state or federal funding. We rely entirely on the generosity of our members and donors. Please visit www.masskids.org to join online; or call 800-CHILDREN for a free information packet. * * * *
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Massachusetts
Citizens for Children
14 Beacon Street, Suite 706 ~ Boston, MA 02108
phone: 617-742-8555 ~ fax: 617-742-7808 ~ www.masskids.org